Facing down a second consecutive dry year, the East Bay Municipal Utility District board decided this week to impose an 8 percent drought surcharge that customers will see on bills starting July 1.
The estimated $30.8 million collected from the surcharge will cover about half the estimated $64.5 million needed to manage the drought this year, according to EBMUD. The rest of drought expenses will be funded by reserves.
The surcharge is EBMUD’s latest step to address the region’s ongoing drought.
Last month, in an effort to curb water use, the agency’s board of directors voted to mandate a 10 percent water-use reduction districtwide.
“We are making the best use of all our tools to handle drought, including purchasing water from partner agencies, increasing conservation from customers, and discouraging waste among high-volume users,” EBMUD Board President Doug Linney said in a news release after the board’s Tuesday meeting.
“These emergency actions are outside of our normal scope of work, and this drought surcharge will help us cover a portion of those costs.”
The 8 percent charge will be applied to customers’ flow charges — or the volume of water used — starting July 1. For an average single-family home using 200 gallons of water per day, the surcharge will amount to approximately 10 cents per day — or $3.08 more per month, according to the water agency.
In April 2021, EBMUD’s board declared a Stage 1 drought emergency after a dry winter left the agency’s reservoirs at 69 percent full. At that time customers were asked to voluntarily cut water use by 10 percent. The agency also initiated the purchase of 33,000-acre feet in supplemental supplies from the Sacramento River.
Last month, a second dry winter left EBMUD reservoirs at 71 percent full, prompting a Stage 2 drought emergency declaration and the 10 percent reduction mandate.
In addition, the board reinstated an excessive use penalty ordinance and updated restrictions on outdoor water use. The penalty is charged to households that use more than 1,646 gallons per day. After one warning, households will be charged $2 for every 748 gallons used above the penalty threshold.
Outdoor watering is now limited to three times per week, washing sidewalks and driveways is prohibited and cafes and restaurants may provide water only upon request.
EBMUD serves more than a million Alameda County and Contra Costa County customers with drinking water. The agency also provides wastewater service.
Manage the drought?
That’s just to keep up pay increases and bonuses.
No one is doing anything to supply more water.
@ Cellophane~
Totally Agree!
It does not make any sense how a surcharge is going to make more water appear or manage the drought.
+1
I don’t think they check my meter, They guess at it.
Water Wars. 8% to fund pensions.
These people never learn forty years ago we had the same problem we knew at that time we need more reservoirs but the next year we had flooding.
The money that was allocated for drought went to their favorite causes.
Here we are again thanks to mismanagement.
Re-elected Gavin
Use less water!
Oh no, we’re not making enough money!
Jack up the rates!
Slime.
+1 …you can’t win
Just planning ahead for their Golden Parachute retirement plan. They make more retired than they did working by the way. All Medical/Dental paid in full by the taxpayers. Really……….
.
Use less water and ya still get screwed.
.
Congratulations!!!
Imagine if all the rail money was spent expanding and building more reservoirs for more water storage? Well it was just a dream!
+1 …there must be plenty of water! They’ve approved tens of thousands new housing starts and are even planning a surfing park in the desert! …There must be plenty of water or they wouldn’t have approved all this new housing – right!?
You reminded me of a quote from old movie, “Don’t let it be forgot, that once there was a spot, for one brief shining moment, that was known as Camelot.” Or, in our case, it was California before the Democrats ruined it. About now is the time to get my carbon spewing generator ready for the summer rolling blackouts.
It never fails. Have a wet year and your rates go up to pay for flood damage. Have a dry year and your rates go up because we didn’t buy enough water. It is all a scam.
Democrat oligarchs dream, less product at less effort, and higher prices.
BOHICA!
SNAFU
I called this last year. I knew this is what was coming. Nothing succeeds like failure over at the water department. Stay at home workers with huge salaries and pensions. They are just an inept as the health department. PG&E already increased our rates by 17% this year. Just wait until the state becomes all electric. Big middle finger to the those losers.
So on top of everything else, EBMUD just decided to charge us 8% more, literally because of the weather? Our utilities are a joke.
Please explain “Manage the drought.” Less usage means less water being pumped means less energy is used by EBMUD. What costs extra to manage less Resorces and less transporting of water? I don’t get it. Explain EBMUD.